


midnight run

by Freecure



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Canon Compliant, Established Relationship, KH3 Ending spoilers, M/M, post kh3
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-31
Updated: 2019-03-31
Packaged: 2019-12-29 01:52:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,410
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18297878
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Freecure/pseuds/Freecure
Summary: It was fine to be a little irresponsible. Riku had decided to follow his heart, anyway.





	midnight run

**Author's Note:**

> happy belated birthday, Sora. sorry i'm late, i have no control over my life. this fic is heavily inspired by [this song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=au2E2SkMCKo) which i've been wanting to write about for like literal years so I thought i'd use it. for Sora's birthday.

After three months, a letter came.

Riku found it first. The bottle floated toward him, the waves bringing news of the state of the worlds. He uncorked it and unfolded the parchment with a sense of foreboding. The King’s delicate handwriting detailed the current state of the worlds and the responsibility of keyblade wielders. The formalities and teachings of the keyblade had eluded Sora, Kairi and himself. They hadn't been taught about the history of their blades and the rites, ceremonies and passages that came with them. King Mickey wrote all of this with words of praise and promises of the future.

Then toward the end, he spoke of a shadow that loomed over the galaxy. An incoming threat they needed to prepare for.

Another journey to embark on.

“Already?” Kairi complained, holding Riku’s hand in her steady grip. “It’s only been three months!”

“I know,” Riku nodded, taking slow steps down the beach. Riku set the pace for their walk and Kairi followed it. She matched his long strides with several steps of her own and they continued down the beach, the footprints left behind swallowed by the coming tide. “It’s nothing serious yet, but it could be soon.”

Kairi sighed and Riku felt it in his heart. The nightmares clung to Riku when he slept, dragged him down into darkness though the phantom that plagued him was no more. During the day, his own guilt at his past actions kept him quiet. With every sunset, he remembered the evening Sora had faded away into nothing. Each night, he recalled the moment he’d ventured forward to bring him home. He’d shake in his bed, panic and sadness gripping his heart.

He sought solace in Sora’s dreams. He’d sit on the papou tree, dream eaters bouncing around happily beside him. There were no questions to be asked, no mysteries to solve. Just warm light and the connection he shared with the person who mattered most to him.

But every dream had its end and Sora’s were no different. He’d awake and the sunset would spiral and fade into darkness. The water would turn to particles of light and the dream eaters would seek other dreams.

The only thing that could heal their hurts was time. Time to reflect, forgive, and move forward. Riku wanted to stay, give himself and his friends that time, but his sense of duty hung around his neck like a weighted chain. A keyblade master should be the first to lead the charge to protect the worlds.

“Have you told Sora?” Kairi asked suddenly. Riku snapped out of his thoughts and took notice that they were gradually running out of beach. They’d almost reached the dock.

He shook his head, giving her hand a squeeze. “No, I saw you first.”

Kairi looked to him and smiled, her bangs swayed with the breeze and briefly hid her eyes from view. Riku kept reminding her to trim them but she kept putting it off. “You and Sora have fought enough.”

Riku stared at her quizzically. “What are you saying?”

“That I should go,” she replied. Her blue eyes told a story of resolve, the need to prove herself. “I’m sure we’re not the only ones the King sent that letter to.”

No, they definitely weren’t. Aqua would undoubtedly volunteer as would Ventus and Terra. They’d been trained under a proper master and answered the call when danger lurked in the shadows. Lea would possibly join them. Perhaps Xion. Roxas he wasn’t sure about. It depended on Lea and Xion’s decision.

With Kairi as well, that left plenty to fight the incoming danger. Riku smiled in relief. So many had been saved. It was… nice to not be the only ones fighting. The weight of the world had been carried on their shoulders, Sora most of all.

“Yeah,” Riku said, the word drawn out as he stared out into the water. “That’s true, but…” Could a keyblade master elude his duty? Could the savior of so many sit back and leave the fight to others? Could they ignore the call? They hadn’t before, arriving in their gummiship with eager smiles and cooperative attitudes. They took up the mantle, following in the footsteps of those lost in darkness, possessed by enemies or deep in the throes of sleep.

Kairi came to stand in front of Riku and took both of his hands in her own. “Riku, you know as well as I do that you and Sora shouldn’t be going _anywhere_. You can’t be expected to do everything.”

Riku frowned. “We _were_.”

Kairi rolled her eyes. “Yeah, back then but this is now. I can handle myself and if Aqua or Ventus comes with me, then there’s really nothing to worry about.”

Riku knew that. He trusted Kairi and he trusted the guardians he’d fought with. “Sora isn’t going to agree to this, Kairi.”

“If you talk to him, he will,” Kairi pressed. “If it weren’t for you, Sora wouldn’t be here. I know he’ll want to fight, but remind him that it’s okay to sit things out. You two deserve it.”

A tired laugh escaped Riku then. Kairi had him there. “Yeah… okay.”

 

* * *

 

Riku didn’t need to search the play island to know that Sora wasn’t there. Their hearts were attuned to each other, and their song drifted off in the other direction. As he rowed Kairi back to the mainland, the sweet harmonies coaxed him toward the palm trees on the south side of the island. He and Kairi said their goodbyes and Riku promised to text her with an update. After a quick hug, Riku set off down the road.

Being home for three months had changed them. The first few weeks, he and Sora couldn’t wear anything but their battle gear. They stayed on guard, even with the sound of the waves and the warm welcome they’d received. A week later they returned to school. They'd had to stay after to catch up with their classmates, but he and Sora would text and make faces at each other to pass the time.

Slowly, they’d eased back into their old lives, but the battles they'd fought stayed with them. The bruises and scars they wore would stay with them forever. Sora would sometimes see shadows in the boy’s locker room. Riku would imagine a presence that was long gone. Kairi would see portals of black and purple darkness.

Time, Riku reminded himself. If only they had more of it.

Sora sat atop one of the palm trees on the beach they’d walked on as kids. Brown spikes of hair blew in the breeze and his crown necklace reflected the light of the sun. Riku stood beside the tree, hands in the pockets of his jeans. Together, their song was complete and as the last note played, Sora looked down at him with a fond smile.

“Hey, Riku,” he called, his voice carrying on the evening breeze.

Riku smiled in return. “Hey. Can we talk?”

Sora jumped down from the tree and landed beside Riku in a gust of sand. Riku grimaced, wiping off his shirt as Sora apologized with a sheepish grin. “What’s up?”

“A letter came today,” Riku told him. He held his hand out for Sora to take and they walked down the shore side by side.

Sora swung their joined hands as Riku bidded his time. He’d had the entire walk over to sort out his thoughts, but he kept getting distracted. Idly, his thumb brushed against the back of Sora’s hand and he noticed that Sora’s smile had turned quiet and soft.

“The King says there’s a shadow looming over some of the worlds,” Riku said. He held his breath, his stomach twisting as he pictured how Sora would react. “He wants us to meet up with him in a week to talk about it with Master Yen Sid.”

Sora abruptly stopped walking and Riku followed his lead. As they stood there on the beach, Riku could see the pressure on Sora’s shoulders. It threatened to overtake him, push him deep into the sand as he committed to another journey. If not for Riku, Sora wouldn’t have returned from the last one.

“It’s only been _three months_ ,” Sora complained in the same tone as Kairi.

“I know, but there’s more people fighting this time,” Riku reminded him. “We don’t have to go.”

Sora’s head snapped up and he looked at Riku like he was a stranger. “What…?”

Now came the difficult part. Sora had risked his life for his friends and he’d undeniably do it again. He’d charge headfirst into darkness and brave it with a smile. He’d give up his mind, body, and heart to help someone he cared about. His kindness and optimism knew no bounds but in turn, it hurt those who loved him. Kairi still hadn’t forgiven herself for getting captured and Riku had nearly lost himself in his search to find him.

Sora would kill himself again and again for the greater good, but when was it _enough_?

Riku couldn’t go through it a second time. He gripped Sora’s hand tightly in his own, brows furrowed as he spoke with absolute clarity. “We _don’t have to go_ , Sora.”

Sora narrowed his eyes. “Riku—”

“Aren’t you tired?” Riku asked, eyes pleading and desperate. “You’ve done so much. You’ve saved the world _three_ times! That’s enough, isn’t it?”

Sora looked at him, blue eyes taking in the raw emotion that Riku rarely let show. Sora lowered his head and laughed bitterly, the sound harboring pent up frustrations and failures. “But the two of us…” He started, his voice cutting off as the risk of tears clogged his throat.

Riku lifted his right hand and cupped Sora’s cheek. He gently eased his head upward so their eyes could meet. It’d always been the two of them. From wooden swords to keyblades, they’d fought, learned and adapted. Riku had opened the door and the darkness had taken their home, their childhood, and any sense of normalcy that remained. It was all his fault. It was his fault that Sora held such a heavy burden. His fault that Kairi never felt good enough. His fault that they couldn’t detach themselves from the worlds beyond.

They had the most experience with saving the worlds. They’d taught themselves and had bested everything thrown at them. They’d visited every realm, willingly and accidentally, and lived to tell the tale. They’d unraveled the mysteries and laws of the worlds and their knowledge impressed even those that came before. _They_ were the masters. They forged their own paths, they displayed expertise over light and darkness and they bombarded their oblivious enemies with the most powerful grand magic. It was all they'd known for nearly two years. Moving past that took trust and assurance that Riku hoped he could give.

“The two of us need more time,” Riku whispered gently. He took a step closer to Sora, closing the gap and pressing a kiss to his forehead. “I think we should sit this one out. _You_ especially.”

Sora’s breath hitched. He released Riku’s hand and wrapped his arms around Riku’s waist, pulling them closer still. Riku cupped Sora's cheeks. His light, his whole world. Tears fell but Riku wiped them away. Whether in dreams or reality, Riku would chase the sadness away.

Sora kissed his thumb and smiled sadly. Tear-eyed and beautiful, he looked at Riku. “I died, Riku.”

“You did,” Riku agreed quietly. Another wave of tears came but they never fell past Sora’s cheeks. “But I saved you.”

“You always do,” Sora breathed. His voice sounded so broken, just like before when Riku found him in a world unlike any other.

“The same goes for you,” Riku pointed out. “We always save each other.”

“Always,” Sora agreed, smile brightening with life. “But I…” The words wouldn’t come and Sora shook his head again. He leaned forward and rested his forehead against Riku’s collarbone. With strong arms, Riku held him, a soothing hand rubbing circles on Sora’s back.

“You can take a few days to think about it,” Riku assured him. “Just let me know, okay?”

Sora used Riku’s shirt as a tissue, wiping his tears and snot on it. Riku wasn’t bothered considering it wasn’t the first time Sora had done it. With his face clean, he tilted his head up and closed his eyes. Riku smiled, doing the same and leaning down.

When they kissed, their hearts beat louder than ever before. Their song crescendoed into _fortissimo_ , so loud that it rung in Riku’s ears. The only thing he could hear and feel was Sora. His lips were soft and Riku could taste salt. He pressed them closer together, fingers touching Sora’s chin. He gently nipped Sora’s top lip and the goofball laughed, ending their kiss with an apologetic grin.

Riku acted like he was annoyed and kissed Sora again, their symphony spurring him on. Sora kept smiling as Riku placed kisses along his jaw and neck. Then he laughed as Riku’s bangs tickled his skin. Gently, their song eased into the background as Riku cheered Sora up. It accompanied them as Riku walked Sora home, the stars guiding their way.

 

* * *

 

Riku smelt rain in the air. The piercing scent of clouds, thunder and showers were on the horizon. In the sky, puffs of grey nimbostratus moved slowly. He opened his window and his room was filled with the smell in seconds. A summer storm seemed fitting after the day he’d had.

He should be sleeping. He didn’t have school the following day, but he still had various chores and homework to do. He meant to ask Sora if he wanted to complete their history project together, but the letter had taken precedence over that.

The letter. It sat on Riku’s desk, folded and wrinkled after being read so many times. It’d burned a hole in his pocket and Riku wanted nothing more than to return the paper to the bottle and send it back to the King. Could he get away with pretending they hadn’t gotten it? Probably not. King Mickey, Donald and Goofy would just show up in their gummiship and ask for them, world order be damned.

He glanced at the clock on his bedside table and grimaced as he read the time. Nearly midnight. Riku took one last breath of fresh air before he closed the window. He laid back on his bed, pulled the covers up to his chin and closed his eyes. He could fall asleep if he tried hard enough. If he thought about moonlit kisses and holding hands in school hallways. He saw Sora’s face, blue eyes, freckles and hair that looked like an abstract art sculpture.

A tapping sound came from his window. Riku ignored it. The storm had probably started and the rain had transitioned from a drizzle to a downpour.

Another tap, more insistent.

Riku ignored it again.

A pounding sound, now. A full on punching-the-window kind of sound— _oh, fuck_.

Riku sat up in bed, teal eyes staring out the window at his spiky-haired boyfriend. Sora was there, on his roof, pounding on his window. Sora. At his house at midnight.

Quickly, Riku snapped to attention. He crawled over his bed and threw open the window. He practically fell out of it in his haste to give Sora a once-over. “What’s wrong? Are you hurt? What—?”

“I’m fine!” Sora reassured, kissing Riku’s cheeks to assure him. “I’m fine, Riku. Calm down, everything’s fine.”

“Oh,” Riku said dumbly. He sat back, relieved. He took one of Sora’s hands in his own and began to pull him inside before the storm came. “Sora, you usually text before you come over. I would’ve left the window open.”

Sora didn’t move to come inside. He stayed perched on the roof, blue eyes electric and vivid in the darkness of night. “Wait, no. Riku, I’m not coming inside.”

Riku raised a silver brow. “It’s about to rain.”

“Yeah, I know. It’s in the air.”

“Then…?” Riku started, feeling a little hurt when Sora pulled his hand away.

Thunder roared and it shook Riku to his core. The wind passed through the window and russled Riku’s hair. Something was shifting, being drastically changed to fit into a new place. Sora looked excited, his smile as bright as the lightning arching in the sky. Another storm, another change. Riku would have to make a choice, as he always did when the clouds gathered and the wind howled on Destiny Islands. Hopefully his decision wouldn’t lead to so much heartache this time.

Sora held out his right hand, open and waiting. “Run away with me, Riku!”

Time stopped then. The raindrops froze in the air and the thunder paused its loud cacophony for just a moment. Riku held his breath, eyes locked on Sora’s as he considered those words. Run. Run away. Run away from _everything_. Not a good look for a newly appointed keyblade master who was in his prime, but he was following his heart now. _Fuck_ responsibility and duties. Sora wanted him to run, so he would.

The world continued on. The storm grew louder just outside the window. Thunder roared and the wind sang its own song. Sora’s hand was still there, a vow etched onto his palm lines. Riku smiled, tired but sure as he placed his hand in Sora’s own. Their vow was sealed and Sora beamed at him.

“Let’s go!” He said, pulling on Riku’s hand.

Helplessly, Riku followed, moving through the window and closing it shut behind them.

They jumped from the roof with ease and continued running down the road toward the docks. Sora was laughing as they danced between raindrops and thunderclaps. Riku smiled, bringing Sora’s hand up to kiss.

“What about clothes?” He couldn’t help but ask. He was following his heart but that didn’t mean he’d bid goodbye to common sense.

“We’ll pick some up later!” Sora answered, taking both of Riku’s hands in his own as he ran backward. His hair became droopier with each drop of rain and Riku couldn’t _wait_ until he was soaked and looked like a wet dog.

Riku tried again. “Food? _Shoes_?”

“ _Later!_ ” Sora repeated.

Riku shook his head, rain falling down his face as they kept running. The pain he felt on the bottoms of his feet was nothing compared to the relief in Sora’s smile. They kept running, clad in nothing but pajamas and socks as they stepped over sand, bumpy roads and wooden planks. Sora nearly tripped several times but Riku would use their intertwined hands to pull him back up to safety. Sora would smile gratefully at him and Riku would give him a wink.

“What about Kairi?” Riku asked, nervousness building in his stomach all of a sudden. She’d said they needed to sit this one out, but he was pretty sure she meant on the Islands, not somewhere completely different.

Sora came to a stop, shaking his head and pelting Riku with water. “I already texted her!”

Oh. Good.

“You really think this’ll work?” Riku asked, both of them rightfully soaked now. Sora looked pathetically adorable. He kept having to move his bangs out of his eyes so he could see. When his brown hair was properly moved from his face, he looked up at Riku with startled eyes. He didn’t answer Riku’s question, so he gently prodded. “Sora?”

“Yeah, I heard you, it’s just…” Sora moved forward, wet hands reaching up to touch Riku’s equally wet cheeks. “Riku, you’re _beautiful_.”

Riku recoiled, face hot as he looked away. “Sora, _please_ ,” he pleaded.

“You’re so _hot_ , Riku. Sheesh, what am I gonna do with you?” Sora complimented, kissing Riku’s cheeks and embarrassing him further. Riku kept trying to shy away, turn his head because it was raining and Sora chose the worst times to be super sweet. Either in public when everyone in town could see him blush or during class through texts somehow at the _exact_ moment Riku would be called on by the teacher. Sora had a sixth sense for embarrassing him.

Riku gave him a shy kiss, then another, and one more before he shook his head to get his bangs out of his eyes. “You didn’t answer my question.”

“Oh!” Sora chirped, taking a step back to give Riku some space. “Yeah, no, I’m not sure if it’ll work. But I took some time to think about it like you said and I really want more time with you.” Sora wiped the rain from his face, smiling at Riku. “I… don’t know if I can do it a _fourth_ time, Riku.”

Riku didn’t know if he could do it a… Was it a fourth time for him? Either way, he couldn’t do it, especially if Sora wasn’t by his side. Keyblade master or no, he was tired as _fuck_ and had just began to feel normal again. He wanted to hold onto that, hold onto Sora and the silly feelings in his chest. “I know,” Riku said gently, the words almost lost to a loud thunder crack. “I feel the same way. Let’s run away, then.”

“I already asked you that and you already agreed!” Sora pouted, indignant. “You just said it to be cool.”

“That’s exactly why I said it and it _was_ cool,” Riku argued, winking at Sora again and cherishing the flush on his cheeks. “Come on. Let’s keep going.”

The dock wasn’t far. Once they reached the play island, they’d have to walk on the other side to get to their gummiship. They hid it under a tarp and Riku concealed it with magic in case any of the other children or teenagers got too curious. But before they ran along wet sand and dealt with reversing illusion spells, they had to cross the small width of ocean that separated them from their goal.

The wind surpassed the rain as they stood so close to the water. Sora peered down into the depths as his hair whipped about wildly. “So. No boats then?”

“No boats,” Riku concluded. He looked out over the sea, measuring the distance. They weren’t children anymore and they didn’t need hastily made boats to cross such a small distance.

Sora stood up and placed his hands on his hips, face twisted in contemplation. “I’d freeze it and make a rail but we’re only wearing socks.”

“If only someone had waited a second and let us grab shoes,” Riku muttered, laughing when Sora punched his arm. “I bet I could warp fast enough to get us over there. I can carry you.”

“Isn’t that dangerous?” Sora questioned, looking concerned. “I don’t want you to get winded or anything, honey bunny.”

Riku nearly fell into the water. “Sora, what did I say about pet names?”

“To always use them.”

“ _No_.”

“But Riku, I love you!” Sora whined, moving over to wrap his arms around Riku’s neck. “And if you’re going to carry me over there, then I’m going to call you whatever sappy, romantic, terrible nickname I want.”

Riku sighed but his arms circled Sora’s waist anyway. “You’re ridiculous,” he admonished, rolling his eyes. He bent down and picked Sora up effortlessly, adjusting his grip due to the rainfall and harsh winds. Sora kissed along his cheek and jaw as Riku calculated the distance and readied himself to channel the darkness. “You’re distracting me,” Riku told him gently, but he couldn’t help a quick kiss to Sora’s forehead.

“Sorry,” Sora said, but he absolutely wasn’t. He leaned up to kiss Riku’s nose before he settled in his arms. “Okay, let’s go! But be careful, sugar plum. Don’t wanna drown at one in the morning.”

“I’m about to drop you,” Riku threatened uselessly. He crouched down low, teal eyes focused on the island in the distance.

Sora scoffed, lifting his leg with dramatic flair. “You would never. You love me too much.”

Riku blinked and looked over at Sora and his ear splitting grin. Riku let him go for a second, savoring Sora’s expression as it quickly transitioned to one of horror, before he grabbed him again.

Sora squirmed in his arms, legs kicking rapidly. “You—! Riku, you jerk! How could you? I really thought—!”

“I’d never drop you,” Riku assured him, rubbing their noses together. “I love you too much.”

Sora crossed his arms and pouted. Riku could finally focus on crossing the water to get them to the play island. He’d have to time his warps effectively, but after a few more steadying breaths, he moved backward and took a running jump off the dock.

Immediately, Riku warped them, darkness encasing them and taking them to the lanes in between before they were back on their world, hovering inches above the ocean. Sora clung to his neck but Riku took a confident step, pushing himself forward as he warped again.

They were a constantly moving ball of dark magic and after two more jumps, they arrived safely on the docks of the play island. Sora’s fingers had dug into his neck, surely leaving marks, but once they were safe on solid ground he jumped out of Riku’s arms and whooped loudly.

“That was so… exhilarating!” He celebrated, punching the air. “Riku, you’re such a badass!”

“And you’re a dork,” Riku countered, walking down the docks and stepping into the sand. Sora ran to catch up with him, looping his arm with Riku’s as the storm waned. The sand was terribly wet, but neither of them commented on it, even as Riku’s socks filled with the gunky, gross stuff. Riku didn’t bring it up, but using so much power in such a short amount of time _did_ tire him out. Sora probably noticed with the way he leaned against Riku to support him as they walked.

As they passed the paopu tree, their eyes turned to it. So many memories there, back when they were oblivious and carefree. Sora nearly stopped walking as he stared at it, transfixed. Likely thinking of when he’d brought Kairi back home. Or when Riku had brought _him_ home. Either way, they needed to keep moving and Riku gently coaxed him forward with a tug on his arm.

Through the wooden door and on the far side of the beach sat the gummiship. Sora nearly smacked into it but Riku stopped him, placing a hand on his shoulder. Braveheart came to his hand and with it, he dispelled the illusionary magic that kept their vessel a secret from the others. Sora looked at it, giddy with excitement.

“Yes! We’re about to blast off, Riku! Thanks to the storm, no one should notice us!” Sora took off toward the door of the gummiship, using his own keyblade to unlock it and step back as it opened.

“Lucky us,” Riku commented, following Sora in his overly wet socks and dripping hair. He went inside the ship, the chill giving him goosebumps. Sora was already sitting in the cockpit, pressing buttons and preparing for takeoff.

“Riku, c’mere!” Sora called, looking over his shoulder. “You can sit in my lap.”

“Uh, that’s a safety hazard,” Riku scolded, wringing out his hair and toeing off his socks. There were rations in the ship somewhere, surely. The same couldn’t be said for socks.

“ _I’m_ a safety hazard and I haven’t crashed a ship yet,” Sora said confidently.

“Donald has told me otherwise,” Riku said.

Sora snorted. “Donald’s a liar.”

“Right,” Riku said, rolling his eyes as he leaned against Sora’s chair. The gummiship was powered on, but it needed a portal or gate to go anywhere. Riku waited patiently for Sora to get up and do his thing, but nothing happened. In fact, the ship’s engines stalled, turning off with a thud. Riku righted himself and moved around the chair to look at Sora’s face. “Sora?”

Sora jumped, turning to look at Riku with a guilty expression. Riku had a feeling this would happen. He should’ve assured Sora more, told him to trust in his friends just like they all trusted in him. Riku placed a hand on Sora’s knee, squeezing it gently. “Hey…”

“I’m sorry. I really am all set to run away, but,” Sora sighed, wiping the water from his forehead. “It just came to me that… I don’t know, are people going to think less of me?”

“ _No_ ,” Riku insisted, the very thought pissing him off. “And if they do, who cares? I’ll kick ‘em.”

Sora laughed briskly. “Riku, you can’t just kick my problems away.”

Riku looked into Sora’s eyes, teal meeting blue. “I can and I _will_. Everyone knows you’re a hero, Sora. You’ve done your fair share of universe saving.”

“Will they get mad?” Sora asked, grabbing Riku’s hand. “The King? Will he get mad at you? Or disappointed? Riku, I don’t want you to get in trouble.”

Riku took a moment to quell his rapidly beating heart. Sora’s concern touched him. “I won’t get in trouble,” Riku promised, stroking Sora’s hand with his thumb. “I think I have leverage since I’m a keyblade master, too.”

“Oh,” Sora muttered, paling in realization. “I’m not. I can get in trouble.”

“I’ll protect you,” Riku decided. A promise that applied not only to angry King’s and old masters, but to nightmares, heartless, nobodies and whatever else the universe threw at them. Riku would protect Sora from it all. “Besides, they have to find us to scold us, right?”

Sora grinned cheekily. He leaned forward and kissed Riku sweetly, their lips wet from rain and chapped from the wind. Still, a kiss between them was always pleasant. Sora pulled away with a wink. “Right.”

“So,” Riku began, standing up to be in his rightful place by Sora’s side, “where to Captain Sora?”

Sora took a moment to gush, bouncing in his seat and pointing at Riku with a stupid smile on his face. The ship came back to life immediately, Sora powering the damn thing all on his own. “Okay, let’s see… I wanna go somewhere we’ve never been before!”

“Yeah,” Riku agreed. With all their world traveling and exploring, they’d never done it _together._ Unless the Keyblade Graveyard counted, which it didn’t in Riku’s book. He did have a few concerns, though. “A world with a store to buy food and clothes would be nice.”

Sora rolled his eyes, summoning his keyblade and concentrating. A portal opened a moment later, a giant swirling mass amongst the storm clouds and lightning. “How are we supposed to know if there’s a store or not if we’ve never been there before?”

Riku shook his head. “I can’t believe you’re dragging me on some barefoot adventure.”

Sora laughed loudly, looking over his shoulder at Riku. “That’s what _makes_ it an adventure! No shoes, no clothes, no food. Just us!”

Riku sighed, running a hand through his wet hair. “Whatever you say, Captain.”

Before the ship took off and they left their home and responsibilities behind, Sora dismissed his keyblade and stood in front of Riku. He trailed his hands up the length of this arms and cupped his face. Sora beamed at him, thankful and loving as he gazed at Riku. “Thanks for running away with me.”

Riku didn’t need to be thanked, but he appreciated the gesture nonetheless. He leaned down and kissed him gently, staying close once he pulled away. “Anytime, sweetheart,” he whispered, smirking at Sora’s surprised gasp.

Sora’s face was comically red. He released Riku, eyes darting back and forth as he cleared his throat. “I, uh, get the no pet names thing now.”

Riku chuckled. He gave Sora’s wet hair a reassuring pat. “No time to feel flustered, Cap’n. We got a ship to fly.”

Sora jumped to attention. “Right!” Smile back in place, Sora returned to his seat and pressed a few more buttons. The ship stuttered and jostled with movement as they steadily began to take flight. Riku settled in the seat next to Sora’s, eyes on the portal that would lead them to their own adventure. One without duties or stakes or missions. Just the two of them, exploring and having fun together. Riku was eager to get started. To let the weight fall off their shoulders.

Sora eased the wheel forward and the gummiship flew through the air. “Here we go!” He shouted, and the two of them flew through the portal to a new world and a new beginning.

**Author's Note:**

> idk guys sometimes y'know. you go on an impromptu six month vacation with your boyfriend. sometimes life is like that and i for one? support sora's birthday wishes. anyway here's my [twitter](https://twitter.com/AspectedMalefic) hhhh you're probably wondering. about the shadow but honestly. that's an idea for another time. don't think about it. go on a six month vacation with your s/o and forgo your responsibilities to have fun in the sun


End file.
